International migration

Identify and mobilize migrants' skills for development

The purpose of this joint OECD/AFD initiative is to propose ways of thinking about new public policies that could better harness the skills of diasporas to foster development in the countries of origin.

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Connecting with Emigrants,

A Global Profile of Diasporas

This publication gathers a broad range of statistical information on migrant populations and their children worldwide by origin country which can be of use for policy makers to tail policies to the population groups in question. The various data sources on which this publication is based are compiled from many different OECD databases as well as from other non-OECD sources.

This publication contains 140 country notes summarising diaspora sizes, including the number of children of migrants born in the destination countries; the characteristics of emigrant populations (gender, age, education, labour market outcomes); the numbers and main destinations of international students; recent migrant flows to OECD countries; and information on the desire to emigrate among different population groups.

This publication is the result of a joint effort by the OECD and the Research Department of the Agence Française de Développement.

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Harnessing the skills of migrants and diasporas to foster development

Building on the joint OECD/AFD study on "Connecting with emigrants : a global profile of diasporas" the purpose of this publication is to propose ways of thinking about new public policies that could better harness the skills of diasporas to foster development in the countries of origin. These options revolve around a central objective, seeking to better identify needs and the supply of skills so that public policy actions in countries of origin and destination can be targeted more effectively, and three main axes, consisting in (i) improving access to information; (ii) supporting initiatives by diaspora members; and (iii) increasing the involvement of local authorities and employers.

The conclusions of these studies were presented during the Conference. The presentations were followed by a debate on how to better mobilize and exploit diasporas' skills for development. High level representatives from African, Asian, Latin American and European countries as well as from migrant associations participated in the debates which were held around two round tables. The conference fits into the framework of the preparations for the upcoming Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD), and more particularly into the framework of round table 1.2 on "Supporting Migrants and Diaspora as Agents of Socioeconomic Change", which is co-chaired by France, Kenya and Morocco.